CFOO

Smiler is the first global online photography marketplace. It matches professional photographers with consumers at popular locations. Smiler recently expanded its reach to more than fifty cities globally. The CFOO enables ongoing growth through a solid financial strategy and expertise in scaling operations.

About Smiler

That once-in-a-lifetime family trip to New York City needs to be commemorated. Ideally with a beautiful photo that is framed and proudly displayed, rather than through many failed selfies. It was this realization, at Times Square many years ago, that prompted founders Martine Rooth and Kasper Middelkoop to create a business where photographers and consumers (whether international tourists or families on outings) can get in touch in an ad-hoc manner, for professional photo shoot experiences.

Many years later, Smiler makes it easier for photographers and tourists to connect at iconic locations. Focusing on high-traffic areas allows photographers to complete multiple short sessions in a small amount of time – for an affordable price that makes it accessible for a large group of consumers. While increasing revenue potential for photographers, Smiler gives individual consumers unforgettable travel experiences by capturing them in high quality.

“The process of starting your own photography business, self-promotion, and generating bookings traditionally requires significant effort, connections, and a bit of luck. Smiler simplifies this process for photographers.” – Kasper Middelkoop, CEO and co-founder

Smiler has recently secured funding with London-based firm Octopus Ventures as leading investor and is now ready to embark upon an ambitious international expansion journey. The ambition is to become the global consumer brand in photography.

Vacancy: CFOO

The CFOO joins the executive team alongside the three founders. The CFOO provides data-driven guidance to the organization, based on key financial information, solid operational analytics, pricing strategies and excellent financial modeling. They also champion a culture of accountability across the company.

Responsibilities
The CFOO leads Smiler’s financial operations with strategic vision, while guiding the supply and demand operations according to the long-term financial strategy and execution plans. Together with the CEO, the CFOO steers the company towards the next funding round. Their scope spans the company’s operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people and culture systems and processes. In other words, the CFOO oversees Finance, HR, Legal, and Operations. The goal is to ensure Smiler can scale globally, maintaining its financial strength and operational efficiency. The CFOO owns the financial model, which they will use as a starting point to build a financial strategy and guide and support the supply and demand teams. The CFOO proposes and steers strategic decisions based on data, within the management team and the entire company.

The CFOO’s main focus will be finance and demand operations, with a financial administrator and a finance operations manager as direct reports and supported by an external accountant. In addition, the CFOO works on projects with several stakeholders within the organization, to help structure processes, implement effective standardization, put KPIs in place, and build teams.

In addition, the CFOO’s responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and managing budgets, funding, liquidity, and cash management
• Getting Smiler ready for the next funding round of at least ten million euros within eighteen months
• Structuring demand operations at scale, based on financial modeling
• Firing up the marketplace engine: global expansion of locations, photographer supply acquisition, and repeatable processes of consumer demand operations

The Candidate
This role requires a candidate with experience in international consumer marketplaces and fast-paced scale-ups. They have previously held a C-level position and are skilled at building and implementing financial models. The CFOO embraces data-driven decision-making. They are also process-driven, understanding the power of standardized ways of working in enabling decision-making processes and international expansion. The CFOO is an enthusiastic people leader, who stimulates professional growth and ownership in the team.

They role model an attitude of proactive curiosity: diving into challenges and learning along the way. In terms of personal communication style, the CFOO fits well with the Smiler culture: professional, friendly, empathetic, approachable, energetic, and persuasive.

This role is an exciting opportunity to scale a unique business model at a global level. Smiler has invented the concept of a marketplace for photography-on-location and has the potential to claim this completely untouched market. The CFOO joins in a C-level position, at a company with over fifteen nationalities on the team, enthusiastic and eager colleagues, and a fun, ambitious, and dynamic atmosphere.

Interested?

Smiler is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Vivian Linker at vivian.linker@topofminds.com.